Kenmore dehumidifier will not pull the humidity out of the air. Repairman said that the evaporator has a leak. Is there a seal material I can put into the system? How many PSI should the R22 be when charged? Thanks...

an air cooler is a dehumidifier by definition
It cools the air around the evaporator giving you cool air and at the same time any humidity in the air is condensed into water and drained off
to understand air conditioner principles it goes something like this
we sweat and the more we sweat is because of the humidity in the air
if the air temp is 30 degrees c with a humidity of 75% then we feel that it is a very hot muggy day simply because the humidity stops the sweat from evaporating and allowing the skin to cool
Now it you take the humidity out of the air and at the same day temperature , you will actually feel cool because the sweat can evaporate and cool the skin
now you can understand that the best setting for air conditioning is 25 degrees c because if the setting is lower then the skin gets too cool because there is no humidity to restrict the evaporation of the sweat
modern spilt systems have a mode called comfort where the fan and the compressor work to maintain a constant level of humidity when sleeping and you don't get cold especially towards the morning

The dehumidifier should be removing water at 66F 70%rh.

First make sure that the compressor and fan are running. If they are, then turn the dehumidifier off and unplug the cord from the wall outlet. Next remove the front cover from the dehumidifier. Examine the evaporator coil (about 1/2 way up) beneath the plastic heat exchanger and above the stainless steel drain pan.

If the evaporator coil is cold and completely covered with frost & ice, the defrost thermostat may be defective. Replace the front cover. turn the humidity dial to "off". Plug the dehumidifier in to the wall outlet and set the fan switch to on - the fan will run (no compressor). Run this way for one hour to defrost the evaporator. Now adjust the humidity dial to your desired humidity and keep an eye on the dehumidifier. If it freezes up again and does not automatically defrost, the defrost thermostat should be replaced. Call the manufacturer at 1-800-533-7533 for parts and instructions.

If the evaporator coil is (mostly) warm and free of frost and ice, it is likely that some of the dehumidifier refrigerant has leaked out. this type of service should be done by a (refrigerant) certified technician. Call the manufacturer at 1-800-533-7533 for help with this service.

Hi,

The coils you see on the back of your dehumidifier are the evaporator. When the unit runs, the coils get very cold. As the fan draws the room air over the coils, the humidity in the air condenses out of the air onto the cold coils. But, if the temperature of the air the fan draws over the coils is too cool, the humidity that condenses out of the air freezes on the coils. To remedy this problem, you can try any of these: Warm up the room the dehumidifier is in. Put the dehumidifier on a sturdy table (the room air is coolest near the ground).

Turn the unit off until the room warms up.
Good luck

Hi,

The coils you see on the back of your dehumidifier are the evaporator. When the unit runs, the coils get very cold. As the fan draws the room air over the coils, the humidity in the air condenses out of the air onto the cold coils. But, if the temperature of the air the fan draws over the coils is too cool, the humidity that condenses out of the air freezes on the coils. To remedy this problem, you can try any of these: Warm up the room the dehumidifier is in. Put the dehumidifier on a sturdy table (the room air is coolest near the ground). Turn the unit off until the room warms up.

Take care.

Hi,

The coils you see on the back of your dehumidifier are the evaporator. When the unit runs, the coils get very cold. As the fan draws the room air over the coils, the humidity in the air condenses out of the air onto the cold coils. But, if the temperature of the air the fan draws over the coils is too cool, the humidity that condenses out of the air freezes on the coils. To remedy this problem, you can try any of these: Warm up the room the dehumidifier is in. Put the dehumidifier on a sturdy table (the room air is coolest near the ground). Turn the unit off until the room warms up.

Take care.

Error code 01 - unit has a sealed system leak; most warranties are 5 years.

does the air feel humid? could be the humidity level dropped and there isn't any moisture in the air. the air passing over the evaporator coil needs to be laden with moisture for the dehumidifier to work.

Possibly lost refrigerant from system- check warm air is coming out of machine. Otherwise it could be dirty filters, and not getting enough air over evaporating coil. Other than this, replacing parts is usually more expensive than buying a new dehumidifier :(

In plain English, the Percentage setting on your de-humidifier is the percentage of moisture that you want to maintain in the air. Relative humidity level range from about 10% (VERY dry air) to almost 100% (VERY damp air). When relative humidity is 100%, water vapor in the air will turn into rain, condensation, dew, snow or frost. 50% humidity is usually a comfortable level, but that will also depend on air temperature. The more moisture there is in the air, the warmer it feels and conversely. Warm air will hold more moisture than cooler air.

Your body is cooled when moisture on your skin evaporates into the air, carrying body heat with it. As the humidity in the air rises, less of your body moisture is able to evaporate and thus your body feels wamer. Lower humidty allows moisture from your body to evaporate more quickly and you feel cooler, both at the exact same temperature.

the unit has a sealed system leak and needs pro repair call sears or a&e at 800-905-9505 for service